Means for charging scrap metal



Oct. 20, 1953 s. LONGENECKER 2,656,055

' MEANS FOR CHARGING SCRAP METAL Filed July 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. Levi .5. Langenecker 51/. hi 'ww -uk-Mv HIS ATTORNEYS Oct. 20,1953 s. LONGENECKER ,0

MEANS FOR CHARGING SCRAP METAL v Filed July 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1INVEN 7 "0R. 34 34 Levi S. Longenecker BY MM' G Mr HIS ATTORNEYS Oct.20, 1953 L. s. LONGENECKER 2,656,055 MEANS FOR CHARGING SCRAP METALFiled July 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1N VEN TOR. Levi S. Longenecker 1mam; M

HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13Claims.

This invention relates to open hearth furnaces and more particularly tothe charging of such furnaces with relatively light bulky material suchas steel scrap.

Present day open hearth plants have charging machines comprising atruck, which travels on an extra wide gauge track which parallels theplane of the front walls of the furnaces. This machine is provided witha charging carriage which moves toward and from the furnaces or at rightangles to the direction of travel of the truck itself.

The carriage is provided with a long arm, known as a peel or chargingbar, which extends toward the furnace, is hollow, can be made to revolveand is shaped on its furnace end to fit into the sockets of chargingboxes in which the scrap is carried to position in front of thefurnaces.

These charging boxes rest on buggies running on either a standard gaugeor a narrow gauge track which parallels the track of the chargingmachine and is located between the charging machine track and thefurnaces.

Each of the present day charging boxes has a capacity of about 35 cubicfeet and since the weight of the scrap is about 60 pounds per cubicfoot, the weight of the contents of each box averages about 2000 pounds.This means that for a charge of 120 tons, there are 120 boxes and sincethere are generally four boxes per buggy, it will require 30 buggieswhich will make a, train about 400 feet long.

At the present time, a typical scrap charging of a furnace requiring 120tons of scrap is as follows:

First the truck of the charging machine is moved so that the chargingbar is directly opposite the charging box which is to be emptied. Itscarriage is then moved forward soas to bring the end of the charging barinto position to be dropped into a socket in the end of the chargingbox. The charging box is then locked in position and the charging bar israised carrying the box with it. By a forward motion of the carriage,the box is then moved into the furnace Where, by rotating the chargingbar, the box is turned upside down and its contents deposited.

This operation is then reversed and the empty box is placed back inposition on its buggy.

This operation is repeated with each of the 120 boxes of the train.

An object of this invention is to provide a method and means that willmaterially cut down the time required for charging scrap metal to anopen hearth furnace.

Another object is to provide an improved method of charging scrap metalto an open hearth furnace.

Another object is to produce an improved box that is capable of holdingas much as about 1000 cubic feet of scrap metal, can be carried on astandard gauge buggy and be readily delivered through the furnacecharging opening.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in thisart, I attain by means of the structure described in the specificationand illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisapplication.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is an elevational view looking toward the front or off-furnaceside of a scrap charging device by means of which the method of thisinvention can be readily carried out;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of the device of Fig. 1 anddiscloses its relation with regard to the furnace charging opening;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation and more or less diagrammatically showsthe scrap charging means of this invention as it will appear whencontaining a charge of scrap, when inposition in front of the furnace tobe charged and when its chute-like member has been moved laterally andlowered to bridge the gap between the buggy supporting the chargingmeans, container or box and the sill of the furnace charging opening;

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive are similar views to Fig. 4, but depict therocking of the scrap container about its horizontal axis during acharging cycle. These views show the operation of the visor or hold-backmember forming part of the container floor;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation showing the inner face of one of the endsupports of the container; and

Fig. 10 is a side view in elevation of the chutelike pan used inbridging the'space between the.

container supporting buggy and the sill of the furnace charging opening.

The method of this invention in its broadest aspect comprises collectinga relatively large charge of scrap metal, supporting the same in abox-like container in front of the furnace charging opening with thebottom of the scrap chargelocated a distance above the sill of suchcharging opening, in bridging thespace between the bottom of such chargeand such charging opening sill with a trough-like'member and rockingsuch charge about a horizontal axis that parallels; the furnace wallequipped with such charging opening and during such rocking, indetaching bottom segments of such charge from its off-furnace side whileholding back the furnace-side of such charge, causing the detachedsegments to move onto such troughlike member and pushing such segmentsalong such trough-like member and into the furnace charging opening in astep by step manner.

For the purpose of facilitating-the: carrying out of such method,Ipreferably employ a rockable container such as more or lessdiagrammatically illustrated in the drawings.

This container preferably takes the .form of a. rectangular bore-likebody 20' having an open' top and a bottom comprising two; members: 21and 22 each pivotally connected to the container body 20 adjacent itsoff-furnaceside. Member 2! is hinged to off-furnace side wall 20aas at23, while member 22.which takes the form of a visor is pivotallyconnectedv toend"v walls 2017" at' 24 adjacent the bottom of thebox-like body but slightly above thehin e points 23 of member. 21.

Each of the members 2!.and22 has vertically. extending side walls whichare respectively numbered. 21a and 22a. Visor member 22" lies withinmember 21 which maybe termed a pushermemben. 'Ilieside members2la ofthis pusher member. Zllie outside of 'the side walls 220. of the visormember as clearly shownin Fig. l. The sides 22a ofQthe visor: memberlieoutsideof the endwalls 20b of the boxelike container body 22;

Pusher member 2I'having a pad-'25 securedito its. underside.atitsdistalend', inorder to make it.a..more effective pusher, lieswithin atroughlike..member. 2 having an inclined vfloor portion 21 andvertically. extending. side walls 28. This troughsometimes. referred;to. asa pan, is. but

slightly. narrower; thanthe width of. the furnace.

charging. opening asshown at 291m Eig. 3..v

BQXrhke. container. is provided .with trunnions 3B which arejournaled'within bearings 31. carried. by. end. members.- 32, which aresecured to, andproject upwardly fromthe. flooror platform. 33 .of. oneof the. buggies. which, is adapted. to. bemoved; along, rails 34 whichparalleli'the front/wall. 35 of the. furnace.

The still of; the. chargingopening is numbere.d' 3%. and. 29 indicatesthecl'earance between the. sides of; the. charging, opening, and the.sides 28" of pan or troughdike. member. 262

The .lintelabove .thechargingopening is numbered, 31'. and. the. door cot' r olling.the. charging opening .is numbered .38.

Visor member body of the container 21Lis.limited.by a. chain.

38 .which is. securedto the. top edge.- 40. of .the

visor. member 2 2v and .to..furnace.eside. wall 2C. at.

412. This chain. permits. considerable upwardrelative motion of thevisor member. 22.,witli re-- the body at the lower endof, its.

22,. is. providedwith'. an. angled. bottom portion 2.2b.. When.flbcrmembers 2,! andvisor members) are in normal.

The charging machine is numbered 52 and one of the pair of rails onwhich the same is mounted is numbered 43. The peel of the chargingmachine is numbered 44.

An arm is pivoted to a preferably rigid projection 46 of pusher member2|. Arm 45 can be connected to peel 42 by suitable means (not shown) andwhen box-like container 20 is to be loaded withscrap, or.-is:;toher-moved; to and from position in front of the charging opening of thefurnace, it can serve as a prop and can "I engage the floor or platform33 of the buggy to lation: to furnace-side wall 20c as is disclosed in;V

travel. with relation. to.-.furnace-side wall. 20.0 by;- scrapmetal-which is caught betweemthe bottomi of the. 1visor; member.-and;the.-.fioor portion of. the

pusher member.

In Fig. '7, it iseassumed. that athe visor member. is; held.- at:, the.upper. limit; of its.

hold. the. container in upright position as in Fig. 2.

Troughrlikemember or pan 2B is supported by two sets of rollers 41 and48 which are arranged to rollwithin two pairs of guideways ZQJandiSB;each having an inclined portion as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Rollers 47which extend outwardly from the sides of. trough-like member Z'foperatewithin raceways which are formed in or extend. outwardly from. theinner. faces of members 32; while rollers lil'which are? secured to suchinner faces, operate within race-' ways 58 which are formed in or.extend outwardly from the sides of trough-likememberZG;

While box-like container 20 is being. loaded. with scrap and'while thebuggy supporting, the? same is being moved along track 34, trough-likemember. or pan ZSisin raised position asshown in Figure 2. When thebuggy reaches .a position. where the trough-like member or pan 26 linesup. with the furnace charging opening, as shown. in Figure 3, member 26'is movedjaterally of'the buggy, preferably by. the peel' of' thecharging, machine. During, suchv movement,. because. of. the inclinedportions, of. raceways- 4.0. and. 52,, member 26 is lowered so that thefurnaceend. thereof rests on.-sill 3.8.vv of. the.- furnacechargingopening, as .shown .iniiguresv 4-8 inclusive.

The rocker. type.- scrap-charger. of thisuinvenr tion'is adapted tobemountedonthe platform of a standard buggy operatingpn astandardgauge;track. Trough-like= member; orpan; 2%} is: designed to enter. thefurnacecharging: opening: with. relatively small clearances; 29 between. its:sides and the sides of suchicharging-openingas; shown in Figure 3. Thefurnace charging opening preferably has a'width'ofi at -Ieast' Z-I feet6 inches and is preferably" controlled by three tilt lift furnace doorsof the typebroadlydisclosed in Patent 2,045,662 granted to me June'BU;1936; such doors being preferably operated by-theoperating' mechanismof'Patent 2,494,713 granted me' January 17, 1950. 7

After trough-like member or'pan'26ihas'been pushed forward or laterallyof "the buggy, into. the furnace charQifleopeningarm was raised (freeingthe container for rocking movement) andis". connected'topeel'i' i ofthe. charging machine.

The operator of. the charging. machine. now, causeslit. to. rockboxelike container v 22$ forward; andbackwardor towardand from thefurnace; about its pivotalaxis. The. forward. movement, (Bias. .5, .7.and8) raisesthevisorjzwhich causes. part of .the offefurnaceiside. ofthe. scrap charge-toi slide down pusher. member. or. element- 21- and"move lintotrough-likemember. or pan. 2'6... This. forward movement a1somo.ves..pushenmemberil toward the furnace which carriesrandpushesathe.scrap. through the trQughAikemember. 25Iintothe furnaceinastep.bystepmannen.

The backward movement. (Fig fi) of. the..-box=.. like container'causesthe visor. supportingmhain;

to act as a lost motion connection between the visor and the adjacentwall of container 20, thus allowing the scrap caught between it (thevisor) and the pusher elements or members to raise the visor withrelation to such wall. A feature of this backward movement is that itpulls the pusher member from under the scrap resting on its uppersurface and causes a segment of such scrap from the ofi-furnace sidethereof to fall or move down in front of the distal or pusher end ornose 25.

- The width of pusher element 2| is considerably greater'than the lengthof container and but slightlyless than the width of trough-like member26. Because of this, the scrap in moving from container 20 onto pushermember 2i and thence into trough-like member 26 is allowed to loosen up.This loosening up and spreading out gives the scrap more freedom to falldown the incline comprising the floor of pusher member 2i and theinclined portion 2! of the trough-like member 26.

- During the whole charging cycle, the scrap is always free to spreadout lengthwise of the pusher and pan or trough-like member 2% and moveforward so that there is very little tendency to develop any heavy scrapcompression loads which might cause binding and stalling.

. It will be seen that at each forward and back movement of thecontainer 28, the charging machine is only working on a relatively smallpart of the complete scrap load and at no time during the charging cycleis the charging machine called upon to do any lifting of the scrap load.

Contact of the sill of the furnace charging i opening by the trough-likemember or pan 2G helps to laterally brace the buggy and the su ports 32of the box-like container. If found necessary, additional bracing can beobtained by connecting the platform 33 of the buggy or supports 32 ofthe box-like container to the charging machine.

- If there is any tendency for the scrap to hang up on the inclinedpusher, its degree of inclination can be increased by locating thebox-like container 20 at a higher elevation.

The visor element serves as a control gate which prevents the completecharge from falling down into the furnace charging opening where itsbulk would considerably exceed the size of the r charging opening andthus cause jamming. The visor element also serves as a leveling devicewhich keeps the topmost scrap from fouling the lintel of the chargingopening.

It will be apparent that material other than scrap metal may be movedinto and through a furnace charging opening in accordance with themethod of this invention and by means of the device disclosed in thedrawings.

The method of this invention can be carried out by means of a devicesuch as illustrated in the drawings even though the visor element 22 isrigidly connected to the side and end members of the box-like container.Such a device, however, will not be nearly as effective as the deviceshown in the drawings in which the visor element is pivotally connectedto the box-like container body adjacent its off-furnace side and has itsdistal end connected to the furnace-side 200 of the box-like containerbody 20 by a lost motion device, such as chain 39.

The amplitude of movement of the container during rocking thereof willbe less than with the container having the pivotally mounted visor andthe rate of discharge of scrap metal from While we speak of detachingsegments fromthe scrap. charge on its off-furnace side, it will beunderstood that most of the time during operation of my scrap chargerthere will be no sharp line of demarcation between one segment.

and a following or preceding segment of scrap.

The visor element holds back the furnace side of the scrap charge, whilethe off-furnaceside of the charge rests on the inclined pusher element.When the top of the container is rocked toward the furnace, the pusherelement is pulled. from under that portion of the scrap charge whichrests thereon. Part of the charge on the oilfurnace side is thus causedto move onto the inclined portion of the trough-like member.

Now, when the container is rocked in theopposite direction, that is,when the top of the container moves away from the furnace, the detachedsegment of the scrap charge is causedto move onto the inclined portionof the floor of the trough-like member and is pushed along suchtrough-like member toward the furnace charging opening.

The scrap segments which are thus caused to move onto the floor of thetrough-like member are moved in a step by step manner towardthe furnacecharging opening, even though they are only partially detached from thescrap charge within the container. i

What I claim is:

l. A device for charging material into a charging opening of a furnacewhich comprises, a container for supporting a charge of material --infront of the charging opening, material delivery means operativelyassociated with said container to bridge the spacing between a bottomportion of said container and the charging opening, and rocker means toactuate said container with respect to said delivery means and dischargematerial from said container to said delivery means and into thecharging opening.

2. A device for charging material into a charging opening of a furnacewhich comprises, a container for supporting a charge of material infront of the charging opening, material delivery means operativelyassociated with said container to bridge the spacing between a bottomportion of said container and the charging opening, material advancingmeans operatively associated with the bottom portion of said containerand with said delivery means, and means for actuating said materialadvancing means to discharge material from said container to saiddelivery means and to advance the material along the delivery means intothe charging opening.

3. A device for charging material into a charging opening of a furnacewhich comprises, a container for supporting a charge of the material infront of the charging opening, a pair of bottom members operativelymounted on said container to normally retain the material within saidcontainer, rocker means for said container to actuate said pair ofbottom members and discharge material therefrom towards the chargingopening, and means to receive the discharged material and deliver itinto the charging opening.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein, said pair of bottom membersare pivotally mounted for swinging movement with respect to saidcontainer, andisaid container: is pivotaily: mounted: Ona carriage-- A;device; as defined'insclaimi 3; wherei-msaid; means ;for V receivingzthedischarged material 1155atrough-like member positioned below an: gpair:of; bottom membere and-111a: movable: outwardly from said containerrintothe .charginezopcning-a 6; Aidevice for; charging materialalonaa; silloi; aacharging; opening; of aifmnace which: come prises-, a material.carrying: container; positioned; on; a; carriage f or: movement: withrespect; to the. furnaceintov char in alignment with :thevchargingphoningthereof,.,a;delivery;trongh operatitely: positioned on;said; carriage. for movement: into the, charging opening; to:rest: upon;the-z furnace sill, ,a pair; or coeoperatinguottcmrxsupportfmem:bersiswingably mountedionrsaid:,container.:to.:non+ maliyholdthematerial within said; container; and means. for. actuating: said:bottom; support members; with. respect to saidr'container andrsaid'.delivery; means to discharge: material from.- said container upon; said;deliveryzmeans: and to; ad: vancethe material along said deliverymeanminto the. charging opening;

7; A device as:definediinsclaim:fiiwherein,roller, means operativelypositions: said deliverymeans for: movement v with;respecirto,said-carriage into the charging opening, a locking arrnzis'operativelyconnected to. oneoi saidzbottomsuppoiztimembers to. latch withsaidicarriagerand'diold said; pair 'of: bottom supp ort:memb.erain..theiix normally closed relationship, and said arnnbeing. movableto:.an unlatchedtposition tmactuate said container andsaid bottomsupport memberscto; discharge material from said container and advanoeitalongs'said delivery means .ainto: the". charging-opening.

8: Means for; charging: materialito. aiurnace' through. a. charging;opening; in a; substantially vertical walLthereof; suchmeans;comprising-a container, adaptedto becarried on a; buggyandmountedtforqrocking movement ,aboutaa horizon? tal. .axis-itoward andfrom -.such. .iurnace wall; ,such; container comprising a box-likebody;v having, a bottom member which: is pivotally connectedtosuchtbox-likeabody. adjacent. itsoiii-furnacezside, is normally inclineddownwardly from; its pivotal axis? to its; distal end and; is: providedwith upstanding; side members, and aztroughelike-rmemsber adapted formovement laterally of sucl'r' bu gy; below such container for bridgingthe K spacebetween such buggy and such furnace charging, opening, suchmember-being provided; with upstandingsides-and afloor whichpsunports.the dist'alend of .thebottom member, of the container body; theconstruction. and arrangement.

being such that as the container, after such. trough-like member is,moved' into position. rest! ing on the charging opening sill andtheboxelike' container is rocked about its, pivotal axisfroin andt'owardfthe furnace chargingaopening,v bot-.= tom segments of thematerial chargewillvbe separated'from the mainbod'y within the containenand pushedi along such trough-like member: toward=and throughthe-furnace'charging opening in a step-by step manner;

9; Meana-fonchareing .scrammetai tozamopen: hearth. furnacezthronglradeer: contrnllechonene ing; in a-isnbstantxallyyverticaiwaiL-thereoizzsuch scrap: charging; comprisin an containermountedJ'on-rocking movementrahout aahorizone tar; axisi-whichzparallels: such-i furnace-swam; such oontainencomprising critical-like:bodwhavingg: an: open top ;and::a hottoim comprising.dzwosindcnende ent:members; each; having vertically extending M sidesiand'fiach being?pivotallyz-connectedrto suck box-like body adjacent itsofl-furnace;sideq,.one. such; member: beings free: to: more; up and downabout: its. pivotal; normalise incl-dining downwardly from to; its end;serves; a. scrap sliderand; pusher; the: othen member comprised; in:vsnchw container bottom havingmovement; can its distal; end away from:such boxelikeabody limitedzbwfiexible means-sat tached thereto and;tusuch;box=lilses body-rabnve; the: bottom of: its furnace-side; SBlNflSias. for. controlling: thezdischarge-openingsin the conetainer bottom,and a trough-like member-located: below' such i containen and mounted;for movement 1atera11y thereofxior' bridgingethe spaceebee tween thebottomion suchcontainer and: thetasili' of such furnacechargingopening:the constrncetion. and: arrangement being sue-he that; asethe container,after such: troughi-likemember is moved into: position: resting on: thev charging opening sill, and'the boxel-ihe container:iswroclredlaboutuits pivotal axis from ianditowarditheafun nace charging opening;bottom segments.offthe: scrap charge will be separated-i fromz the mainscrap 'body within; the: container: and; pushed along such trough-likenmember towardi and through the furnace charging opening imaistep by stepmanner. 7 j

10. A device as defined in" claim 9; in: the trough-like memberused forbridging:- the space between the bottom; of theascrapcontainen andthe-sillof the-iurnace charging openin -is: provided with a floorportion which inclines downwardly from its-'ofi furnace: end to thefurnace end thereof".

11; Adevice-1as defined' in claim 9; in-which the trough-like memberusedfor: bridg-ing the space between the bottom of" the scrap containerand thesill of the iurnacemharging-= opening-"insuraported on rollersoperatingin:guideways having' inclined portions 'w'hercbw thetrough-like mem her whenmoving laterally to: bridging position i'sloweredi 1 2. A device asdefined in claim-9; inrwhieh the' flexiblemeans limiting the movement of the distal end-of'the-visonmemberaway'from the box-likecontainer body takes the formof" a; chain.

13. H deviceras defined in 'cl'aim 9, imwhich the horizontal axis about'-\vhicli' the container is mounted for rock ing movement is locatedabove the vertical centerof 'the container.

EONGENECKERZL 7 No ireferenceszcitedr s

